RE: Home Studio

[Hoover Alan <HooverA@tce.com>]

Actually, there is a lot of controversy regarding oxygen-free cable.  And 
it
has nothing to do with "better insulation keeping the oxygen away from the
copper".  Oxidized copper is a result of the manufacturing process of the
metal itself, and of rolling the metal in one direction vs another.  The
result is kind of like a semiconductor.  Its resistance to current flow in
one direction is a little different than the resistance in the other
direction.  This is what a diode (rectifier) does.  Hence, an ac signal
could theoretically be distorted.  Pay close attention to the
"theoretically" part.  Each tiny molecular domain of oxygenated copper 
might
have this distortion characteristic to some small degree, but when you
combine "billions and billions" of domains, everything averages out.  No
distortion.  Also, it makes no difference whether you use stranded or solid
wire for audio.  Stranded holds up better when repeatedly flexing it, so it
is best in the long run.  Litz wire, consisting of many strands which are
individually insulated from each other has a theoretical advantage at high
frequencies because of magnetically-induced eddy currents and 
"skin-effect",
but not at audio frequencies.

Belden (large cable company) and others have researched these things pretty
thoroughly and even done double-blind testing.  Conclusion:  No one can 
hear
the difference.  They still sell ofc though, because there is a misinformed
market for it.

Gold plating of connectors, on the other hand, does make quite a 
difference.
Extreme oxidation of non-plated connectors is the rule, not the exception,
with very measurable and hearable contact rectification taking place.  

I hope this sheds some light on the subject.

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Lauder [mailto:steve.lauder@elspa.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 20, 1998 8:29 AM
To: loopers-delight@annihilist.com
Subject: RE: Home Studio


Get yourself some oxygen-free cabling - the thicker the better (I have to
admit, I'm not familiar with brands - I just go to a car Hi-fi store, and
buy lengths of the stuff).  If you buy large lengths of cabling, and cut it
yourself, it works out marginally cheaper than buying cabling kits.

If you do cut to length and find that you've left yourself short, don't tie
more cabling to the end of it - the more naked wire you have, the more
interference you pick up.  If you have to use phono jacks, don't use
solderless ones.  Although they're easier to attach to your cabling, the
connection isn't as good as a soldered one, and thus, you get marginal
degredations of sound quality.

I hope you get some improvement in your sound quality through this, believe
me, it helped a lot with my setup.

Steve Lauder